Why it matters
The producer
Pip Goring arrived at Wiston Estate in 1972 with a dream of planting a vineyard inspired by her childhood in South Africa’s Western Cape. In 2006, the Goring family planted a site facing south and covering 16 acres with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The estate produces traditional method sparkling wines, with Marcus and Megan Rayner-Ward as its winemakers.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Chalk downland surrounds Wiston Estate in the heart of West Sussex, with the first vineyard around 10 miles from the sea. It sits in a relatively warm, dry microclimate nicknamed the Banana Belt. Chalk is porous and free draining, while sparkling wine depends on grapes retaining acidity for the base wine. The setting provides both drainage and conditions suited to sparkling production.
Wines to know
The range in view
Wiston makes exclusively traditional method sparkling wines. The vintage Cuvée is the estate’s flagship and signature blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The house often incorporates reserve wine dating to 2008 in the final blend, while its wines spend at least three years on the lees. Lees are the spent yeast left after bottle fermentation, and ageing on them can add creaminess and breadlike flavours. The Cuvée Brut is creamy, driven by toasted almond and sourdough, already developed and complex.